Take A Chance
by BasketballIsFun
Summary: "I've been thinking a lot lately... about, well, us in general." A series of loosely connected one-shots that attempt to form a coherent story exploring new possibilities and relationship dynamics in the Spy School series in the event of Ben and Zoe becoming a couple in the aftermath of it all . *Spoilers for SSBI*
1. Fugivity

It was quiet.

To some people, the silence would be considered deafening, a nuisance, but as a spy, I learned to relish these kinds of moments while they lasted. Especially as of late after being chased by enemy agents among other people. Frankly, I was grateful for the chance to sit down and just think for the first time in a while.

Not that I hadn't had adequate time to gather my thoughts, far from it. After our ragtag team that consisted of four junior agents (though Erica could be considered a professional spy as it was; she was more than capable, had been for a long time now) and the two Hale adults still in commission had managed to bring down SPYDER down to their leader Ms. E herself—a feat no one else in the CIA could lay claim to—things had finally settled down a bit. Once we evaded the French police and Interpol weeks ago thanks to the efforts of Alexander, I had plenty of time to myself for once, though only a few thoughts regularly cycled through my mind in the midst of it all.

The first was of Orion, the secretive cryptographer who turned out to be a surprising ally, who was incredibly gracious in accommodating us since we arrived at his chateau in the French countryside. The estate was located on a hilly expanse, offering us a vantage point for miles if we so desired. And while it didn't nearly match the bulk of his palace in the Cotswolds, it was still polarizing to gaze at even from a distance. Just the idea of actually living here boggled the minds of me and my fellow spies.

Despite the fact he hadn't visited the place in over a year, Orion still had a full-time staff on duty, though naturally Erica and Catherine were worried this was a security risk. Orion did his best to assuage them of their fears, telling them the staff didn't even carry any form of communication for his own security and that they mostly kept to themselves anyhow. It did make sense; after all, Orion was someone who encrypted highly secretive files and information, some of which involved highly illegal activities, and outside of us, no one even knew what Orion's hair color was, much less what he looked like. Still, after falling for Ms. E's initial ruse of being a mere maid, the Hale women kept an eye on the staff whenever possible, not that I could blame them.

I had spent the last few weeks exploring the massive chateau with Mike and Zoe for the most part, contemplating the future of SPYDER given the amount of manpower and resources they had left (this was mostly Erica at the dinner table), and recuperating from the mission in general. I found myself replaying the events of said mission in my head more often than not, from our escape of the British Museum to throwing a mannequin of Gustave Eiffel off the top of his own tower to thwart Ms. E's last attempt at causing chaos and mayhem throughout the world. And while Murray Hill and his whereabouts did cross my mind every now and then, after Cyrus Hale, Erica's extremely capable grandfather, sent me an encrypted message stating the uncorrupted parts of the CIA were working overtime to round up moles within the organization and enemy agents, Murray a top priority among them, I allowed myself to relax, if only slightly.

More recently, my thoughts drifted elsewhere to the other matter at hand, the ongoing debacle of Erica and Zoe, or to put it more directly, where I stood with them. I knew that Erica liked me in some capacity ever since she kissed me in the face of imminent death from a nuclear bomb. Her heart-to-heart talk with ironically, Zoe herself, which I may have listened in to without her knowledge served as even more validation. Still, Erica was always adamant to this day that relationships and emotions in general weren't a good thing to have in the spy game, given how they can cloud your judgment. By now, I had lost count of the number of times I had argued about the topic with Erica, but now I could certainly see where she was coming from. Her own parents had been a volatile pair for most of the mission, and things were still a bit weird between me and Zoe nowadays.

However, I couldn't exactly just make that problem disappear on a whim, and I wouldn't do that to Zoe, who's been my best friend ever since I first got to spy school. Whatever we have between us is a little more… complicated, something beginning to evolve beyond friendship. I had missed all the telltale signs of Zoe's crush on me, some of which were quite obvious in retrospect, though still remained great friends with her the entire time. Ever since Mexico though, things had changed.

Brief moments of jealousy surged through me more often now, even for things as inconsequential as Mike and Zoe bonding over fonts. I was more aware of Zoe's own attractiveness that had eluded me before, and we did have a few moments together. Walking through the cenote and catacombs together holding hands, confessing that I did in fact like her while being chased by a deranged Joshua Hallal (my timing could still use some work), and on the rare occasion we were alone, we had exchanged meaningful looks before turning away as things grew awkward. Despite my typical cluelessness when it came to girls, even I knew I couldn't just pretend as if nothing had changed between the two of us.

My mind felt torn, and yet I also had the urge to laugh once I considered the predicament I was in. I had defused bombs, stopped missiles, and defeated SPYDER half a dozen times, and yet girls were the one problem I had no answer to. Ordinarily, I'd go straight to Mike for advice, but this time he was part of the problem. I had no idea if he was trying to win Zoe over after I informed him of my interest in Erica, or if it was just my mind playing tricks on me, blinding me out of pure jealousy to the point where I was seeing things. Mike was always a magnet for girls, so it was difficult to gauge whether he had any true interest in Zoe, or if he was just being Mike by flirting with her.

I shook my head, willing myself to think of something else. Speculating about my friends' intentions wouldn't do me any good. I decided to head outside to take my mind off things for a bit, a common occurrence for me since we had arrived. Hopping out of one of the many extremely lavish beds Orion had purchased for his chateau, I made my way into the hall soon enough.

For the average person, it wouldn't be easy navigating through the maze of hallways of the chateau, but at this point, I had familiarized myself with the layout to the point where I was now going off instinct. I found myself at the front of the chateau in hardly any time at all. I opened the door, only to freeze at the sight before me.

It was Zoe, sitting alone on a bench a couple hundred feet away from me or so, give or take, simply watching the sky. Or at least that's what it looked like she was doing, given that I could only see her from the back. I wasn't sure what to do; we hadn't really talked since Paris, and at the chateau, we either kept to ourselves or hung out with Mike and Erica when we could.

A sense of boldness—or perhaps rash impulse—prompted me to walk up to her, my nerves on edge. I did my best to compose myself on the way; steadying my hands, wiping away the beads of sweat that had appeared on my forehead, and collecting my thoughts, which were more jumbled than a piece of linguini.

I wasn't particularly good at sleuthing; I only had a C in Intro to Covert Surveillance and my professors said I had the subtlety of a wolf hunting for its prey. The only problem was that I lacked the ferocity and dominance wolves usually asserted over other animals. Given this designation, I was surprised that Zoe hadn't been alerted to my approach instantly. Whether she was too engrossed in her own thoughts or I had actually managed to sneak up on her, I wasn't sure, but whatever the case, she didn't notice me until I was standing right next to her.

"Ben!" she cried out, startled by my sudden appearance. "Um… how long have you been standing there?"

"Not long," I reassured her, realizing then that Zoe seemed a bit on edge after my spontaneous arrival. "Sorry, it's just that well, there's a lot on my mind right now. The mission, Ms. E, everything else… it's been a lot to process these past few weeks," I told her apologetically.

"Yeah…" she said, her eyes meeting mine briefly before flitting away. I got the sense there was more meaning to that word than what initially met the eye. After a few moments of silence, she extended a hand to me, gesturing for me to take a seat, a small smile on her face. "We really did a lot in a few days, didn't we?"

I couldn't help but smile back as I sat down next to her on the bench; Zoe just had that effect on me. "We did," I replied, pausing briefly before expanding further on the topic. "You know, given that you were only a stowaway who wasn't even authorized to be on the mission, you did pretty well yourself. I don't think we would've been nearly as successful as we were if you weren't with us."

Zoe tried to shrug this off, but I could tell she was flattered by what I had said. "We all did what we could. Honestly, it was you and Erica who did most of the heavy lifting, literally with the EMP and all. Well, Catherine too, but you get the point," she explained.

"Still, I'm glad you came. We couldn't have done it without you," I told her encouragingly, and in another surge of boldness, moved to gently place my hand over hers. She looked surprised by the gesture but said nothing of it as we stared out into the sky, daylight dwindling rapidly. It was the first time we had held hands in a setting that could be considered romantic. Neither of us said a word, but there a certain tension between us now, a warm feeling circulating within me.

Eventually, I broke the silence. "I've been thinking a lot lately," I began, unsure how I wanted to phrase my next words. Zoe raised an eyebrow in mock surprise, an almost knowing smile on her face as she turned to listen. Screw it. "About the future now that SPYDER's gone, and just about, well, us in general."

I could tell my bluntness had caught her off guard, even if she had been half expecting it, a light shade of pink dusting her cheeks as I continued. "I like you Zoe, a lot in fact. You're pretty, a deadly spy, and you've been the greatest, most reliable friend someone could ask for. I know I've told you before, but you deserved to hear it when our lives weren't in danger for once. So there," I exhaled, glad I had finally mustered the courage to tell her directly without dodging the topic for once, even if it came out as more of a ramble than anything else. It felt good airing out the specifics to her, to express what I had been thinking these past few weeks aloud.

I looked over to Zoe as I sensed her hand move in mine, her blush slightly more defined now. "Ben, I… did you just say what I think you said?" I nodded as she attempted to digest that bombshell, shaking her head in almost pure wonder. "Wow… I mean, are—are you sure? What about the whole relationship issue when it comes to spying? What about Erica? I mean, I know she doesn't really show emotion, but she does like you in her own way. If we were… together, how would that affect the two of you on missions?"

I paused, having not considered these questions in my spontaneous confession. The opportunity—a rare one—had presented itself and I took it without thinking twice.

"Honestly," I began, aiming to choose my words carefully, "I feel like Erica's overblown the relationship thing. It did cause us some trouble on this past mission, but it's not something we can just ignore or make disappear. Who knows, if we were together, maybe it'd actually clear things up and help us work better as a team, maybe it wouldn't. I'm willing to take that chance though," I told her. "That is, if you want."

Zoe contemplated my words, her eyes deep in thought. Eventually, she settled for tilting her head at me, her smile wide and radiant as she replied. "I do."

Two simple words, but with so much meaning behind them. It was enough to prompt me to close the gap and kiss her gently, just as the sun set to usher in the night. I could tell that she hadn't been expecting the kiss this time around, unlike in Mexico. Her green eyes went wide with shock, though that quickly subsided for a look of contentment as she kissed me back, almost feverishly.

I couldn't help but notice her scent as we kissed, one I was growing more and more familiar with every day. Lemons and a distinct hint of roses. We pulled back after a good ten seconds, flabbergasted and nearly breathless. Zoe's face emulated the very definition of shock. I, on the other hand, became much more conscious of my heightened heartbeat as we stared at each other, a certain charge in the air around us now.

"That was nice," Zoe said simply, and I laughed, a short laugh to break the now even greater tension between us.

"It was," I agreed, letting the kiss sink in. "So, uh, what now?" Zoe gave me a questioning look, prompting me to elaborate, "I mean, are we a couple now, boyfriend and girlfriend, or—"

"Ben," Zoe cut me off pointedly, rolling her eyes but unable to conceal her amused smile. "Don't worry so much. This is all new for me too. No matter what happens, we'll figure it out together," she said, clasping my hand in both of hers reassuringly. "We have time."

"I know," I replied, glad that at least one of us was being rational for the moment. Though I couldn't help but wonder: What would it be like, transitioning from friends to something more? Zoe and I already had plenty of awkward moments these past few weeks, and that was before I asked her out impulsively just now. In an effort to compose myself, I repeated Zoe's last words like a mantra, something to cling to. We have time. We'll figure this out.

"We'll be okay," I said, trying to mimic her steady, calming tone.

"That's more like it," she replied teasingly.

"There's just one more thing we have to do," I added, and she gave me a quizzical look, urging me to continue. "We have to tell the others now, about us."

When she merely looked at me inquisitively in return, I explained my rationale. "I mean, we're all spies, it's our job to know these types of things. I'd prefer it if we tell them ourselves; they'll figure it out sooner or later anyway."

"I know, I know," she replied, her face scrunched up in what appeared to be faux thought, given the playful grin she gave me before answering. "Alright, but only if we can get dinner on the way back. I've been sitting out here for the past few hours until you showed up."

Now that she brought light to that fact, I was suddenly aware of how empty my own stomach felt. I hadn't eaten since lunch, which made my decision a lot easier for me, not that I had ever considered an alternative.

"Deal," I told her, returning her grin with one of my own.

So that's how Zoe and I ended up walking back to the chateau hand in hand, my heart aflutter with hope. Hope for the future and whatever lied ahead. My mind was racing as though a live wire ran through my body, sparks of tingly optimism coursing through me while I considered the prospect of today being the start of a longstanding relationship built on trust. And as we exchanged one of those knowing looks of reassurance, a thousand emotions going through my head, at that moment, I felt like we could do anything together. That no matter what, we'd at least have each other in the end.

And even though my life felt complicated beyond belief with enemy agents shooting at me regularly, constantly fearing for my life, and all the relationship drama that sprung up recently to top things off; truthfully, all things considered, I wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

**I'm not expecting many views here, but figured I'd make a contribution to the seldom read Spy School series to take my mind off other projects and ideas for the time being. Apologies if Ben or Zoe seem a bit OOC here, it's hard to get a sense for how they would approach this topic when Stuart Gibbs hasn't really given them that "heart-to-heart" type of talk yet. Hope you all enjoyed! (Including those on the Discord who have been complaining about the lack of fanfic for this community)**

**P.S: Can we get a mod to update the list of characters? I mean, wow this is limited.**


	2. Resolutions

**Any errors or inconsistencies made here are mine solely, I don't own Spy School (wish I did though), all rights belong to Stuart Gibbs.**

* * *

It had taken a few more weeks of hiding out, but eventually I had been cleared of my crimes on all counts. The rest of my fellow spies on Operation Screaming Vengeance had also been pardoned, with the exception of Murray Hill, who was likely waiting out the ongoing manhunt for him. It had taken a lot of wrangling from Cyrus Hale and some other uppity ups in the CIA, but MI6, French authorities, Interpol, and several other law enforcement agencies had eventually gone public in proclaiming the innocence of everyone that had partaken on the mission.

On said mission, our team had gained access to the computer of Ms. E, the leader of SPYDER, which contained a great deal of sensitive information, including a full list of the subversive organization's double agents in a bevvy of agencies, a decent amount at MI6 among them (much to Catherine Hale's dismay, though she was prepared for such a possibility; SPYDER went to great lengths to worm their way into the intelligence community). As a result, there had been a massive overhaul in the spy field. Meetings were held daily to discuss the degree in which SPYDER had entrenched itself in the intelligence community, several higher ups were revealed to have been SPYDER agents for years, and hundreds of arrests were made in the two months our team laid low. It was sheer pandemonium, as Cyrus said on one of his brief updates to us.

Naturally, there was a big cover-up, as knowledge of SPYDER wasn't exactly privy to the public, let alone information regarding Ms. E. The story spun in the end was this: It was a case of extremely mistaken identity when it came to my fellow spies and I being wanted for breaking and entering, vandalism, and obstructing justice among other things. Most of the blame ended up being pinned on the SPYDER agents the CIA had been able to detain, Dane Brammage and Warren Reeves making headlines in this regard after they had been arrested at the Eiffel Tower.

Despite no longer being wanted around the globe, I knew my parents would be suspicious; they had to be given that this had been the second time I had been accused of terrorism, not to mention the fact that my best friend Mike Brezenski had been involved as well. I sent them several emails to hide my true involvement, doing my best to convince them I had been working on a project at school the entire time and that it was all a giant misunderstanding. They seemed to have been thrown off the scent given how they responded, but there was no way to know for sure. After all, Mike had gone through a full-scale whitewash by the CIA's Department of Misinformation, and he hadn't bought it for even a second. My parents could be keeping whatever lingering suspicions they had to themselves.

Despite all this, what _really_ caught me off guard was the fanfare my fellow spies-in-training and I had received upon returning to spy school. The other two hundred and ninety-six students there knew of our involvement overseas and had no reason to believe the sham of the story the media was running, so naturally they were more invested in me and the others. I could feel eyes on me wherever I went for my first few weeks back, though exams had given me a slight reprieve as everyone scrambled to study for their respective classes.

Zoe and I began to hang out a lot more once we came back. After I had spontaneously kissed her on a whim one night while we were hiding out as fugitives, the dynamic between us shifted greatly. I got the sense we both felt we could be more than just friends and decided to act that way, though we tried to keep our developing relationship covert for the time being, contradictory to what I had said that night about being transparent with our friends. This required a great amount of discreetness and sleuthing on our part, though despite our efforts, I was fairly sure at least _one _of them had caught on over time, likely Mike if I had to bet on it. Erica was more difficult to gauge as relationships were never her strong suit. It was entirely possible that she hadn't caught on in the slightest.

Erica was another complicated case of its own. We both knew how I felt about her, and there were signs that she at least liked me to certain degree after recent missions. But her stance on relationships being a burden in spying remained firm, evident by how she was all business even after the mission was over, unwilling to let herself unwind. We did talk most days, which should be considered a win given how detached Erica could be to people usually, but those conversations had been short and superficial for the most part, nothing romantic in the least. And though she had gone full Ice Queen on me before, this time _I_ felt myself drifting away from her too.

Because of this ongoing dilemma, I ended up spending most of my free time hanging out with Zoe; whether it be studying for our finals (though now _she _was helping me out too as opposed to last year, when she asked for my help on subjects she knew better than I did as an excuse to hang out with me), exchanging knowing looks and smiles when we walked to class or in the cafeteria, or simply for each other's company. I cherished those types of moments, as I knew it was only a matter of time before we would be seen together, thus invoking a relentless wave of rumours from the student body.

Surprisingly, our secret hadn't gotten out by the end of the exams, or at least it hadn't to the gossipy people at spy school. I had shown "mild improvement" in Self-Preservation, displayed just enough competence in firearms, breezed through History of Espionage, and nailed my Cryptography final. Zoe and I were looking into whether we could spend one of the few days we had to ourselves together before heading off to spy camp, though we hadn't come up with a plan just yet. We were supposed to talk about it after we had finished packing up our rooms.

So it came as quite a surprise when I received a text from her saying I needed to come to her room and that it was urgent.

I found myself at her dorm in no time flat, purely off concern. Though I knocked gently, I was prepared to barge in on the off chance that Zoe was in some sort of danger.

Fortunately, I had enough patience to wait for the few seconds it took her to open the door herself. Looking her over, Zoe seemed to be fine—physically at least. Mentally, I noticed she seemed a bit distraught as she ushered me into her room, which was now as barren as everyone else's on account of her packing. My eyes flickered to her hand, where she was holding a clear plastic evidence bag containing a note of some sort. That was never a good sign.

"Who's it from?" I blurted out, before I could even think about it. "SPYDER? Another enemy organization? Or—"

"Ben, it-it's fine," she said, trying to wave it off, though her unsettled voice completely undermined that. "I shouldn't have even brought you here for this."

"Hey, it's okay," I told her, meeting her eyes. "You might not think it's important, but I trust you. You can tell me anything, I'll be here for you. _Always._"

Zoe's eyebrows furrowed in contemplation, but eventually she managed a small smile before bringing the plastic bag to my face, allowing me to read the contents of it. My heart lurched as I saw who it was from.

Warren Reeves. Apparently, he had been allowed to send a letter from whatever facility they had stuck him in, and he'd used that privilege to contact Zoe. Which wasn't surprising in the slightest, but it still gave me a bad feeling.

The letter was a seriously misguided attempt at reconciliation on his part. Initially, he started out by saying he had always loved her, but then it diverged into the blame game, Warren essentially saying it was Zoe's fault that he had defected to SPYDER since she never returned his affections. Later on, he took a shot at me, saying I was "not good for her" and that I would never care for her the way he did.

Ultimately, I finished reading with a repulsed look on my face, practically mirroring Zoe's expression when I came in initially. It took me a few moments to find the right words to express my disgust.

"Man, what a whack job," was what I had finally settled for.

"I know," Zoe replied, a hint of sadness in her voice. "He's just… I can't believe he's fallen this far. Yet at the same time…" she trailed off.

"You feel sorry for him," I finished. A statement, not a question. Zoe nodded, confirming what I had thought. "Yeah, I did too. Especially on missions, when you could tell he was trying his hardest, but it wasn't enough." I knew that feeling of inadequacy well. "But ever since he betrayed us…" I shook my head.

"Yeah… still, I just can't help but think… if I had paid him a little more attention, would he still be on our side?"

"Maybe. But I feel like he would've turned eventually anyhow," I told her gently. "He showed his true colors that day."

She sighed, knowing the validity of my statement. "I know," she leaned in, gently pressing her forehead against mine. Eventually, she pulled back and gestured to the bag. "What should we do about this then?"

I thought about telling her to take the letter to administration, but I was pretty sure they had likely seen it already and deemed it insignificant after checking for any explosives or poisons contained within. There was no way SPYDER—or what was left of it—would go to such lengths to deliver Warren's letter unannounced.

"Shred it, then incinerate the remains," I recommended the standard school protocol for authorized correspondence. Zoe gave me a surprised look at the suggestion but didn't object before I elaborated further. "He's a criminal, we aren't. _We _can move forward. Together."

I reached out to take her hand, which she accepted graciously. It seemed she had come to the same conclusion as me. And as I watched the shreds of Warren's final note disintegrate into nothing, I heard her whisper back to me faintly. A warm feeling tingled inside my heart as I registered what she had said. Almost too quiet for me to pick up, but I heard it nonetheless.

"Together."

* * *

Zoe and I walked out towards the front gates of the Academy of Espionage together, having finished packing our things. A nondescript, sleek, CIA approved vehicle was designated to send us to our homes, where we could spend a few days with family before heading off to spy camp. Mine was approaching quickly, so I took the time to say goodbye to her, as ultimately, we had decided to spend time with our families as opposed to with one another. After all, we'd have all summer to see each other.

"I'll see you on Monday, then," I said plainly, moving to hug her. She returned the gesture just as strongly, neither of us pulling away, even after it was clear we were prolonging the hug. Zoe's face rested on my shoulder while I smiled into her hair, which she had grown out to about halfway down her neck over the past few months.

"I guess so," she replied, a smile on her face as she reluctantly pulled back from the hug, still lingering beside me afterwards. "Thank you, Ben, for everything."

With those words, the tension between us became palpable. I froze, suddenly unable to do anything else but smile back in the moment. Though the feeling didn't last long, as in what seemed to be a split-second decision, Zoe broke the atmosphere around us by kissing me.

This time I was the one who recoiled in surprise, though I quickly settled myself enough to kiss her back, enjoying the moment of pure bliss. Unlike our first and only kiss prior, this one didn't have the same heat and spontaneity to it. Instead I felt promise, some sense of stability and hope that we could make this work, even in the spy field where stability was about the last thing associated with it.

Given that these types of thoughts were circulating through my mind, it was easy to see why I didn't hear the footsteps approaching from down the hallway until the person they belonged to spoke. "Ben! My brother says you forgot to—Oh. My. God."

Zoe immediately broke away from me, embarrassed. I on the other hand, jumped back in surprise at the voice, one that I knew quite well by now.

"Chip?!" I half exclaimed; half questioned. It was in fact Chip Schacter, one of my closer friends at spy school. We hadn't started off well, but he had proven himself to be loyal, true, and as reliable as they come. I was eternally grateful to him for protecting my parents from SPYDER, but that didn't mean I wasn't annoyed at him for catching the two of us in a now embarrassing situation.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Zoe questioned, unable or unwilling to meet his eyes.

"I was just going to tell Ben that my brother wanted to see him before he left. Something about the person next in line… Anyway, that doesn't matter. Uh… how long has _this _been going on though?" he asked, gesturing to the two of us.

Zoe and I looked to each other, initially unsure how to answer the question. The cat was out of the bag now and we both knew it. There was no point in lying to him, Zoe must have recognized this as well, so she relented with a sigh and answered truthfully.

"A bit over a month now."

"A month?!" Chip's eyes grew as big as golf balls as he processed this. "You two have been dating for a month and you never thought to tell me?"

"Well, we didn't exactly want it to be broadcasted to the whole school," Zoe retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Okay, okay, fair enough," he replied, holding up his hands in innocence. I caught his eyes darting around furtively as his voice dropped another octave. "Does anyone else know?"

Zoe nodded to me, a momentary glance, but I caught it all the same. "No, you're the first one," I told him, trying to shrug it off. "Honestly, we thought the whole school would've found out by now, but I guess people aren't as perceptive during exam season."

"Well, people did notice you two hanging out a lot," he countered. "But that's pretty normal for you guys. Why should anyone have thought something more was going on?"

"Well, we _are_ training to be spies. It's your job to know those sorts of things," I argued, only to realize I had somehow flipped sides. Now I was saying everyone should've known about me and Zoe being together, when that was of course the last thing I wanted.

"True," Chip conceded, an almost devious smile then creeping up his face. "Oh man, I can't wait to see the look on Erica's face when she finds out. Heck, I'd _pay _for that."

Zoe grimaced at the thought of such a situation coming to fruition. "Well, we'd really prefer it if you didn't do that, thanks."

"Relax, I never said _I_ was going to tell her," he said, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"Oh, okay, sure. Just like that," I replied sarcastically, well aware Chip probably wouldn't let it go so easily. This was the same Chip who mocked his brother for his breakup and teased Erica for even the possibility of liking Mike. Was he not going to tell Erica or the others out of respect as my friend, or did he have an ulterior motive?

There was only one way to find out.

"Why?" I asked him.

Chip's face screwed up in confusion as he answered, "Huh?"

"Why _aren't_ you going to tell Erica? Or even the others," I reiterated.

"Well, you two seem to make a good couple. Wouldn't want to get in the way of that," he replied casually before he dropped the bombshell. "And besides, then _you'll _be the ones to tell Erica and everyone else, and that'll be an instant classic."

Zoe and I exchanged looks, knowing the reality of his statement. Though we knew it was an inevitability, I still dreaded having that potential conversation with my friends, and of course, Erica most of all.

Noticing our worried expressions, Chip dropped his cavalier attitude, his voice turning to a sympathetic tone I had never heard from him. "Seriously though, I'm happy for you guys."

Before either of us could respond, Chip shifted back to his usual, almost carefree self as he spoke. "But I'll be honest, I never thought you'd make a move, _either _of you. Not in a million years. Nice job."

"Uh, thanks," I replied sheepishly, desperately looking for an out to this conversation. "So, your brother, what does he want again?"

Chip had a knowing grin on his face but fortunately opted to let the topic drop. "Heck if I know. He's been a pain in my butt for so long, I couldn't care less at this point. I'm just glad he'll be out of my life for the next year," he said with a shrug.

"Guess I better find out how I earned his wrath this time then," I grimaced at the thought, but began heading to the dorms all the same. Having a final talking to from Hank Schacter before he left wasn't a pleasant scenario, but it was still infinitely preferable than having to listen to his brother ask for details about my relationship with Zoe for another second.

Soon enough, I found myself at Hank's door, knocking apprehensively.

"Come in," a gruff voice I recognized to be Hank's long ago answered. I quickly ushered myself in, bracing myself for the lecture that was to come.

Like Zoe, Hank's room was completely empty, not that he had added many homey touches to it to begin with. Three suitcases were stuffed to the brim with what I assumed to be a plethora of clothes, weaponry, and grooming products.

Hank himself was seated at his desk; his eyes focused on what appeared to be a set of important looking documents. Eventually, he stopped skimming through them long enough to stand up and look me over.

"Good to see you one last time, Smokescreen," he told me, before giving what I assumed was supposed to be a playful pat on the shoulder. With Hank's strength, it was instead the most uncomfortable caressing I had ever received. "Listen, I know we aren't on the best of terms, far from it, but I'm always honest. Especially when it comes to the important things. And right now, I guess I kind of owe you one."

That was the absolute _last _thing I expected Hank to say. He must've seen the bafflement on my face, immediately handing me his important looking documents in response. They detailed Hank's field assignment prior to his studies next year at the University of Espionage. I quickly scanned the first page, to find that he'd be assigned to…

"Moscow? Not bad," I said, though in reality I knew quite well that was the dream assignment for most sixth years. Was Hank going to be scouring for international intelligence there, or something a little less sneaky?

"Yeah, they want me to go on some covert ops with agents who've been vetted for years, seeing as I have the most experience in the field out of everyone in my class. They must have a lot of faith in me, seeing as this is the first time they're trusting a student straight out of the Academy with this type of assignment."

"Okay... so then why did you say you owed…" I trailed off, the reason becoming apparent in an instant. "Oh."

"I know you bailed us out at the mine with those missiles last year. And Erica won't say, she'd be too prideful to, but I'm pretty sure you did _something _to stop that bomb Shang was planning to detonate. Anyway, what I'm saying is that if you hadn't come through and made me look good in the process, I'm sure I'd be working a desk job in Canada like Tina did last year. So… thanks for that." He held out his hand, a peace offering of sorts.

I shook it. "Um, yeah, no problem."

Hank smiled, and for once, it was actually genuine. "You may have been a pain to deal with this past year, Ripley, but you've got talent. Unorthodox talent, but it's there. If you can manage to shoot straight for once in your life, you'll be a great spy."

"Thanks," was all I could say in response to that stream of odd compliments. I hurriedly changed the topic before things turned awkward. "So, anything else you wanted to tell me? What about my new RA for next year?"

"Nah, jerk already went home. We're good here, have a nice summer, Smokescreen."

With that, he waved me away, though not before telling me to at least _try _to win Color War at spy camp this year, to which I didn't respond. And as I headed down the stairs and back to the front of the academy where my ride home was waiting, a smile made its way up my face. All things considered, things were going well.

Zoe and I were going somewhat steady now, Chip wasn't going to be a loudmouth about it, and I had somehow garnered at least a speck of his brother's respect over the past year. Most of all, I felt at peace for once. Enemy agents weren't hunting me down, I didn't have to save the world from chaos and mayhem, and I was being a somewhat normal student living a completely abnormal life at spy school as opposed to being on the run from law enforcement.

Things were starting to look up; I would make sure to value every second of it.

* * *

**Well, something compelled me to write this as a follow up, mainly the ideas in my head that stemmed from Ben and Zoe becoming a canon couple in the series, which I think would be interesting to explore further given the effects it would have on his relationships with his other friends (coming later). For now, I guess you can consider this an ongoing story, though frankly there's no set amount of chapters I have in mind at the moment; I'll write whatever ideas come to me. Though for now, I'll tentatively say I have enough **_**so far**_** for about 5 chapters of content, but I'm very inconsistent when updating, just so you guys are aware.**

**Here, I mainly gave closure to Hank, who I think deserved a bit more development as a character, and had a classic reveal type scenario with Chip. Next chapter should include Erica and Mike, a lot in fact if I write it as planned, so be on the lookout for that. So I hope whatever small contingency of fans reading this stick around. **

**Until then,**

**-BasketballIsFun**


	3. So It Begins

**Any errors or inconsistencies made here are mine solely, I don't own Spy School (wish I did though), all rights belong to Stuart Gibbs. **

**Thanks for the kind reviews iMgRaTeR and Ashley Sparks!**

* * *

In the few days I had at home, I was hoping for a chance to unwind a bit, take my mind off the grueling summer at spy camp that was to come.

Instead, it was more like another interrogation of its own.

My parents had a myriad of questions and concerns for me when I got back, confirming that they still suspected there was more to my being labeled as a terrorist than the media had let on. At dinner, Dad eyed me warily while Mom asked if everything was okay at St. Smithen's, the dorky science school everyone _thought _I was attending, likely in an attempt to see if I would cough up even the slightest hint of information regarding what had actually gone down in Europe a few months ago.

The good news was, I did have a few things going for me after all. The media had done a good job of removing any and all perception the public had that I was an international terrorist, likely due to the pressuring of the CIA. In addition, my parents themselves hadn't noticed the nondescript Sedan that was parked by across the street with agents watching dutifully to ensure their safety. So, things could've been much worse.

Still, I tried to be as forthcoming as possible with them (without actually revealing the truth, of course), though that was limited to me regurgitating the same CIA approved lies and alibis for my whereabouts I had given them over the phone an inordinate amount of times in the aftermath of the situation. Fortunately, my story seemed consistent enough to the point where there were no gaping holes, so they relented on the inquiries after the first day, though I still caught them looking at me suspiciously over the next two.

Though that problem was somewhat resolved, another took its place. Apparently, there was a family reunion taking place on the weekend, and naturally we had to go. So we packed up and headed for North Carolina, where we'd be convening at a beach house by the Atlantic. I spent the time avoiding overly affectionate aunts, listening to men dodder more than Professor Crandall in Self-Preservation 101 (though unlike Crandall, I was quite sure they had _actually _lost their wits a while ago), witnessing my cousins get into several fistfights and disputes, and mainly keeping to myself, texting Zoe and Mike for company.

I was careful not to bring up either of them to any relatives who asked how I was doing, as they had been wanted for the same charges as me in England and France. Not to mention, I didn't want to risk potentially getting flustered by any overbearing relatives and reveal Zoe and I were sort-of-unofficially-maybe going out at the moment.

Eventually, the painstakingly dull ordeal was over, and I found myself being dropped off at the official location for the bus to pick me and everyone else in the DC area up for the trip to spy camp. A voice called my name at nearly the instant my parents headed off (this I made note of to ensure they had no intention of following the bus) and I knew it instinctively, given how uplifting it had always been when speaking to me.

The next thing I knew, Mike had an arm around me as we exchanged pleasantries and got caught up with one another. On account of me spending so much time with Zoe over the past month, we hadn't seen each other much outside of class and lunchtime. Although we had texted a lot, it wasn't quite the same, though he didn't seem to mind given his initial greeting. I assumed this was a result of him being busy with his own exams.

Sure enough, Mike was starting to vent about his results. "… that counterespionage final was totally bogus, though I'm just glad Dr. Greenwald-Smith isn't here anymore, she would've flunked me for sure."

The mention of our former counterespionage instructor brought the thought of SPYDER to the forefront of my mind again. As it turned out, they had a good deal of double agents within spy school itself, including the instructors. Harlan Kelly, who taught disguise, was also a mole, and I was sure there were more in other departments given how understaffed even the cafeteria staff seemed to be over the past month.

"How about you?" Mike was looking at me expectantly now.

"It went pretty well, all in all. You get used to it," I said with what I hoped was a casual shrug. "My parents though… that's another story."

He laughed. "Tell me about it. My folks read me the riot act so many times this weekend, I thought it was never going to end."

"You think they… know?" I asked hesitantly.

"Nah, I'm sure it's just a parental instinct type of thing. Being wanted for terrorism does tend to bring that out."

I decided to let the matter drop at that, as it'd be pointless to speculate further regarding how much our parents actually suspected. "Yeah, that can be pretty nerve-wracking."

"So, what else has been happening in the wonderful life of Ben Ripley?" Mike inquired, wiggling his eyebrows at me as additional prompting.

"Very funny," I told him, but still told him about Hank's final goodbye and the drag of a family reunion I had grinded through. I didn't tell him about Zoe though, mainly for confidentiality, as we were standing amongst a number of spies-in-training who were no doubt listening in on some capacity.

"Not bad. Oh yeah, by the way, how is she?" Mike had a tendency to do this, throw me for a curveball at the most random times during conversations.

I said the only thing I could say in that moment, "How's who?"

"Zoe, of course. You two have been joined at the hip for the past month, you think I didn't notice?"

_This _threw me for another loop entirely. My mind was scrambling for the correct words to get me out of this predicament, but ultimately came up empty.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I settled for plausible deniability in the end, knowing full well Mike would see right through this. It didn't help that I could feel my cheeks reddening either.

Mike looked at me with a triumphant look on his face. "So, you two _are _dating then!" He said this loud enough for everyone within our general vicinity to hear, and it took everything I had to not run away in the moment. A good amount of murmurs and hushed whispers had already begun, no doubt speculation about me.

Mike was either oblivious to this, or too focused on my own distressed expression. "Oh, don't worry, I kind of had a feeling just based off the way you two were _looking _at each other during lunch. There was definitely something going on."

"Okay, but can we—"

"Plus, I was the one who noticed her crush on you in the first place, so it really wasn't hard for me to put two and two together after that. Ben, own this, you might be becoming a ladies' man, because she's _cute_."

"Yeah, she is," I said, now resigned to the fact that Zoe and I would be the talk of spy camp for the next month or so. "Can we, um, talk about this later?" I motioned to the people around us, hoping he would get the hint.

His eyes widened, aware of the damage he had done. "Oh, crud."

* * *

The ride to spy camp, or Happy Trails as the official name given to the public, was not exactly a pleasant one. I had cooped myself up in the back of the bus containing everyone's bags with Mike, trying my best to let go of my annoyance at him. He ended up apologized profusely, over and over, long after I had said it was okay and forgave him.

Even in such a position, I could still sense a buzz in the air as people discussed the "new, hot couple" in school. In the end, I decided it'd be better to take some rest; I'd need it if I was going to get another drill sergeant like Hank as my camp counselor this summer. Anyhow, sleep was still a better alternative than having to listen to another catcall from the rowdier kids on the bus no matter how you put it, so that made my decision a no-brainer.

I woke up to Mike shaking me awake as we approached the Happy Trails grounds. His eyes lit up at the sight of it, much like how mine did last year.

"Don't get too excited," I cautioned, before frowning internally. I didn't want to crush Mike's optimism before it could even begin, so I flailed around for something to say that would heighten it instead. "There's much more here than what initially meets the eye."

I winced, having realized I told Mike the exact same thing Alexander said to me when I first came to spy school, but luckily it seemed to have increased his excitement, nonetheless.

Mike and I waited until everyone else got off the bus and headed to their own cabins before dismounting, hoping to avoid any further chatter about me. Despite my somewhat diminished optimism for spy camp, my spirits were instantly raised as I saw Zoe discreetly waiting for us by a clutter of trees, luckily having not caught anyone else's eye. She perked up in a similar fashion, though I noticed she toned down the wattage of her smile slightly once she saw that Mike was with me.

It took me a while to make my way off the bus and over to her, as carrying my bag was a huge hinderance. It was relieving in many ways to drop it once we came into contact.

"Ben! You made it!" she said, throwing her arms around me in a hug. I hugged back and smiled, that warm feeling inside me returning with Zoe's beaming optimism and affection.

Beside us, Mike cleared his throat uncomfortably, our hug having gone on a bit longer than normal ones. Zoe immediately turned red with embarrassment as she tried to explain. "Oh, uh, hey Mike, glad to see you too. We were just happy to—"

"It's fine, he knows," I reassured her, before lowering my voice to a whisper. "Along with half the school by now."

Zoe's face registered momentary shock, but she quickly concealed any hint of it, acting as if nothing had happened. "Oh, well okay then. Yeah, we are kind of going out, but we shouldn't talk about that now. We need to get you two to your cabins!"

"Let me guess, our bus was late again," I said with a grimace.

"Yep, I guess this is going to be a tradition from now on. Anyway, what cabin are you guys?" she asked.

"I'm a Beaver this year," I informed her.

"Muskrat," was Mike's reply.

"Ooh, tough luck, Muskrats always have it rough," Zoe said, genuine sympathy in her voice. "Do you need a guide?"

"Nah, I'm okay, I can find my way around," he replied casually. "I heard Ben got lost beyond belief last year, he could use a hand, I'm sure."

I shot him a glare. "That is not true."

"Ben, directions aren't exactly your forte. Besides, it can't hurt."

"I never did finish giving you the tour last year," Zoe mused as she set off. "Alright then, Beaver Barracks, here we come!"

As soon as we had put some distance between us and Mike, Zoe spun toward me frantically while we walked, a good amount of fury in her eyes. "What do you mean, 'half the school knows?'" she whisper-hissed.

I sighed. "Well, that's kind of a long story…"

"It was Mike, wasn't it?" she looked to me for confirmation, not that she needed it. "I swear, when it comes to girls, that guy is nothing but bad news."

"Hey, Mike means well. Usually at least," I conceded. "Anyway, you know how much of a talker he is. This was going to happen sooner or later."

"Yeah, I know," Zoe's face softened, her anger somewhat defused. "Honestly, I would've put my money on Chip though, even after what he said the other day."

"With the way Professor Simon hates my guts, I'm surprised she didn't call us out in front of the class," I replied jokingly.

She shook her head in wonder, but still managed to crack a smile. "That lady had it in for you."

"Maybe," I played off the truth of the statement. "But not as much as the principal."

"Hey, cut the guy some slack," she told me a fake scolding manner. "It must've been hard on the bones getting wheeled in from the Smithsonian."

"I dunno, I feel like the time he spent in the parapet might've taken a worse toll on him."

"True…" Zoe pursed her lips, trying to hold back a laugh. "But in all fairness, he could've turned out worse. He could've ended up being the type of spy who doesn't take no for an answer and goes on missions unauthorized while being fully aware that she could get booted from the Agency in an instant. All because she was crushing on one of the main agents."

"Hmm, she sounds like quite the daredevil," I said, amused by the turn the conversation had taken. Not that this was unusual; given the amount of time we spent together over the last month, it was only natural for us to develop this type of playful banter. "Any idea where I could meet this talented agent?"

Zoe stopped in her tracks, turning to face me. As she did, I realized that sometime in the midst of our conversation, we had ended up in the woods. Deep in the woods. "I'm not sure," she said carefully. "I think she's a bit lost right now."

"That's a shame. Maybe she just needs a guide," I replied, extending my hand to her. The weight of my bag became a lot more magnified in that moment, but I didn't mind.

She took it gracefully, entwining her fingers with mine. "Be my guest."

* * *

Mike watched his two best-friends-turned-couple head off, shaking his head wistfully. It was hard for him to believe this was the same Ben that couldn't even so much as get a girl to _look _at him a year and a half ago. He wondered when the change first began to take root. Was it after his first successful mission, the inkling that convinced him he could be a spy, or had it just come naturally once he was immersed in spy school, where his skills were being recognized and used for more practical problems?

Either way (not that he'd ever tell him), it was startling for him to witness how his best friend had transformed firsthand. Sure, he caught glimpses of it, like at the arcade when he chased after Murray Hill with a surprising amount of agility and savvy, almost instinctively, and the one day he came back to middle school to pound Dirk Dennett and his friends into the ground, but to see him handle himself perfectly and remain composed on a full-fledged mission was something else entirely.

Though Mike didn't envy the situations Ben had been in, a small part of him couldn't help but feel just the slightest bit of jealousy at his friend's unorthodox success as a spy. No wonder Zoe and seemingly every other girl he got to know had fallen for him.

A voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Are you going to get moving or just stand here all day?" Mike whirled around to find himself standing face to face with one of the girls who had kind of fallen for Ben, he knew that ever since he saw the way she glowered subtly at other girls who showed Ben any remote amount of affection. Though of course, she'd never admit to that.

For once, words eluded him. "Um, Erica, why are you—"

"I'm looking for Ben, and seeing as you two are best friends, I figured he'd be with you," she said simply.

"Well, Ben just went off to his cabin about five, ten minutes ago so… Wait, why are you looking for him?"

"He's supposed to get a debriefing."

"On a new mission?"

"That's classified."

"Of course, it is," Mike did everything in his power to not roll his eyes then and there. "Anyway, Ben headed off in that direction with Zoe, you can go chase after them if you want."

She frowned. "With Zoe? Why?"

Mike shrugged. "He needed a guide, apparently."

"That doesn't make sense. Ben knows the property well enough on his own," Erica said, looking as if she was putting together the pieces of a puzzle in slow motion mentally.

"Well, I'm sure that wasn't his only reason."

Erica simply raised a perturbed eyebrow in response, though Mike knew that was her way of indicating for him to continue. He hesitated, not wanting to be the one to break the news to her, especially after his screwup earlier.

"They're good friends and just want to hang out," he replied, maintaining his voice to the best of his abilities so as not to hint to something more going on.

Erica didn't buy this for one second. "They're dating, aren't they?" she asked flatly, though it wasn't a question, just confirmation of something she was likely already well aware of.

Mike frowned, but still verified her statement anyhow. "Yes."

"I knew they had a thing together, but I didn't think Ben would be _that _short-sighted," Erica said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?"

"What I _mean _is that they're happy right now, but what happens if they end up in the field someday, attacked by SPYDER or another organization? How're they gonna work together, or with whoever else is with them?"

"SPYDER's gone, and no other organization's gonna go after Ben," Mike told her, though he was trying to convince himself as much as her. "Besides, he doesn't let emotions cloud his judgment on missions."

"Then you haven't been with him on enough missions. Ben constantly gets sidetracked by romance. Me, Zoe, Ashley Sparks for Pete's sake, Jessica Shang…"

"For Jessica, it _was _his mission to get close to her," Mike pointed out feebly, to no avail.

Erica continued ranting as if he hadn't even spoke. "He's like a moth being drawn to a lamp. And that's just him. Zoe wears her emotions for everyone to see, she's like an open book for crying out loud. Not to forget, what happens when they break up? It'll throw them off even more as spies."

"_If,"_ Mike corrected, Erica shooting him a look. He reiterated, "_If _they break up."

"Mike, they're thirteen. _Teenagers,_" Erica pointed out. "Breaking up is inevitable at that age."

"Look, I totally get it, you don't think spies and relationships mix well together," Mike said, trying to find a proper analogy for the situation. "But that's not always true. Think of it like pickles in your peanut butter sandwich; it either works for you or it just doesn't."

"I heard a similar argument from Ben, and I still have yet to see evidence pointing to the contrary."

"Even the pickles in a peanut butter sandwich part?"

"No, he said eggs with ketchup," Erica replied briskly, and before Mike could even begin to deduce whether she was being sarcastic or not, she moved to her next point. "We've wasted enough time debating this, let's go find Ben so I can debrief him."

With that, she slung his forty-pound duffel bag over her shoulder like it was a purse and started heading away.

_Guess I don't have much of a choice, _Mike thought as he moved to catch up with her.

Still, he attempted to protest anyway. "Uh, Erica? Why'd you grab my bag?"

"Your cabin's on the way to Ben's, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and save you from the wrath of your camp counselor as well."

"Oh. Thanks," was all he could say in response.

Despite Erica's impatience as evidenced by her patented icy glares when Mike hesitated for even a fraction of a second, Mike couldn't help but do so every now and then, taking in the scenery bit by bit. Eventually, Erica seemed to have decided her silent reprimands weren't enough and voiced her annoyance out loud.

"You'll have all summer to check out the property, keep moving," she groused, still trekking straight ahead. "Haven't you read the brochure about this place?"

"There's a brochure on that?" Mike repeated quizzically.

"Actually, I think it was only available in the latest edition of the student handbook, but you still should've come prepared, not marvel at every last tree in sight."

"Ben did give me a bit of a rundown…" Mike tried to say with conviction, though his voice might as well have been a thousand miles away. _Now _he experienced firsthand the reason as to why ninety-nine percent of the school was intimidated by Erica.

Without warning, Erica shoved Mike's duffel bag back into his hands. He nearly buckled from the extra weight, before noticing the cabin. He had been so engrossed in the conversation that he wasn't even paying attention to his surroundings.

"Get situated. Lunch'll be on in the mess in ten minutes."

With that, she darted off, melting into a line of trees while leaving behind a very flustered and somewhat confused Mike. He wasn't sure what to make of the exchange initially, but as he set up his bedding sheets in the currently empty cabin, something clicked into place for him.

Erica seemed to be talking a bit more vehemently after she learned (or simply confirmed her suspicions) of Ben and Zoe's ongoing relationship. Almost as if her words came from personal experience, from her heart rather than a set of rules she set for spying. Then Mike thought back to Erica's own parents on the mission. It had been quite the spectacle seeing them argue the way they did (when his life wasn't in danger, at least), but in reality, that was likely another deterrent for her to pursue any relationship in of itself. Still though, it felt like there was something more there, a fresh wound Mike may have inadvertently opened.

_Click. _Mike shot up in realization, the conclusion he came to made sense. Maybe Erica wasn't jealous of Ben dating Zoe in particular, but instead it could be that she envied the _idea _of what they had together. Trust, stability, that unwavering loyalty to one another, a grounding presence so to keep each other afloat; all those things, Erica may have had with someone else before. In the end, her heart must've been broken, perhaps shattered, thus resulting in the Ice Queen coming out in full force.

As Mike wandered aimlessly around the property (he really wished he had a map), he wondered if Ben knew about this, and whether it impacted his choice to go out with Zoe, considering he had previously been completely smitten over Erica. It was difficult for him to tell. Sure, Mike had gone out with a few girls, but they were mostly airheads aside from Elizabeth Pasternak and Jemma Stern. Ben and Zoe were another case entirely.

Whatever the circumstances were that led to it, them being together would certainly change things between the four of them. In what way was yet to be seen, though he could safely assume Erica would be as cold as ever, just as Ben described her to be off missions. In the grand scheme of things, Mike did know one thing for sure.

Everything was about to get a lot more complicated.

* * *

**Whew, this was a pretty fun chapter to write. Threw in some headcanons and theories as to what'll happen next in the series. Not sure how this happened, but I guess this is now a cohesive multi-chapter fic as opposed to the one-shot I had planned initially. Oh well.**

**So yeah, turns out Mike and Erica knew all along, or at least had a feeling. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise. I figured Erica would display just the tiniest bit of jealousy in her own Erica way, and that of course Mike would be grandstanding and praising Ben for his success, only to accidentally announce it to the entire student body. I tried to make the dialogue witty, perhaps a bit **_**too **_**witty, but I'm satisfied with how it turned out.**

**Next chapter: Ben and Erica talk, and whatever else I can think of to write. **

**See ya then, **

**-BasketballIsFun **


	4. Logistics

It took a while, but eventually, Zoe and I managed to make our way over to my cabin for me to get situated. I didn't mind, as the extremely indirect route we had taken through the woods gave us some time alone, plus I doubted there'd be much choice left in terms of sleeping arrangements anyhow. Sure enough, there was only a bottom bunk left when I arrived, though fortunately no camp counselor to rebuke me for my tardiness. Even more relieving was the fact there was no enemy correspondence lying in wait for me this time around.

We walked over to the mess hall without incident, though I knew from there our luck would likely run out. Zoe had a similar look of apprehensiveness on her face as we stood in front of the doors, neither one of us making a move to go forward.

"You know what'll happen once we go in there, right?" she asked. A pure formality, as both of us were aware of what was to come.

"We were gonna have to go through this sooner or later," I replied, a lump in my throat. "Besides, how bad can it be?"

"I know," she said reluctantly. "I just wish we had more time."

"Me too," I told her, her hand in mine. A practically instinctive act. "Might as well get it over with."

Thankfully, it wasn't primetime for lunch hours thanks to my late arrival. As such, only a shadow of the student body was present at our arrival. Nearly every head swung in our direction at our arrival, though that was relatively unsurprising given how gossipy spy school was. We ignored the catcalling and murmurs directed to us as best as we could, moving almost mechanically through the now empty lunch line before settling at an empty table in the corner.

Fortunately, the stares died down a bit then as people went back to their conversations, though I could sense some people keying in on us. I scanned the area quickly to gauge who the culprits were (with a bit of subtlety, I hoped), finding that it was mostly first year students doing the eyeballing, as if we were enemy agents to be profiled.

Zoe in the meantime seemed to have been entranced by the mystery meat on her tray, her way of making people lose interest in us. Sure enough, everyone's attention soon became diverted elsewhere, and only then did she speak.

"Should we expect this to be a regular thing?" she asked, waving her hand around.

"Well, you remember all the attention I got after I saved the school from blown up, right?" I replied, her nodding in response. "Think of that, only tenfold. Especially in a school full of wannabe spies."

"I guess we'll get used to it eventually," she said with a sigh. "Still, Mike, I can't believe he just…"

I poked at the graying slob on my plate, unsure about its edibleness and how to answer what Zoe had just said. "People would've found out at some point, Mike or no Mike. At least we're getting all the rumors out of the way now."

"I guess we shouldn't think about it too much," she conceded, eyes flitting around momentarily before turning back to me and her food. Her enthusiasm towards the meal mirrored my own, the disgust evident in her voice, "You want to get out of here?"

"Yeah," I replied in relief, standing up and leaving our untouched trays behind. I could hear the whispers start back up even before we even exited the mess but ignored it all the same.

I came out of the double doors hardly a second before Zoe, though it was enough time for something to catch my eye. _Someone, _I realized once I squinted, now aware I had just locked eyes with Erica Hale.

I'd been expecting a confrontation like this for a while now, considering how much Erica kept us all in the loop about the downfall of SPYDER while hiding out at Orion's place. As soon we returned to spy school however, she reverted to her usual Ice Queen persona and had been that way for the past month. I took that to mean either there was no new intel on the situation, or she was just being Erica. Probably a bit of both.

I racked my brain for an excuse to leave Zoe, in anticipation that Erica had new information, but found myself struggling to form the words. Luckily, Zoe's phone then pinged, and with it came an out to the situation at hand.

"Aw man," she groused, face contorting into a scowl.

"What is it?"

"My camp counselor wants us all back at the cabin, apparently she wants to lay down some 'ground rules' for the summer."

"I guess you ought to head back then," I replied, trying to keep my full attention on her despite Erica's piercing look from afar.

Zoe seemed to catch onto my sudden jumpiness, raising an eyebrow in questioning. "Are you sure, Ben? I don't think I _have _to go, I'm sure it's nothing important."

"You should just in case. Don't want to start off on the wrong foot," I told her, the uncertainty on her face ebbing away as I added, "Besides, I did tell Mike I'd catch up with him sometime today, help him find his way around the property and all that."

She contemplated this line of thought, her lips pressing into a thin smile. "Well alright then I guess that works then," she skipped down the steps to the ground, pausing halfway through as something occurred to her. "I'll see you tonight then?"

"Yep, we'll meet up here when you're ready," I replied as coolly as I could manage.

"Great! See you then!" she waved goodbye at that, heading right past the bush Erica had concealed herself in without a second thought (or so it appeared). The instant she was out of hearing range, Erica motioned to me, leading me in the opposite direction to a secluded area of woods, presumably yet another uncharted area of spy camp that Erica knew her way around.

Neither of us spoke for a while as we began hiking to higher ground. I wasn't sure if it was because of the humidity or something else entirely, but today I felt an extra chilly vibe around Erica.

"So," I began conversationally, trying not to appear intimidated, "what can you tell me?"

I didn't realize Erica had camouflaged herself until she turned to face me, her body smeared from top to bottom in green and brown. She could've easily passed for a strip of grass; no wonder Zoe couldn't spot her.

"You want the good news or bad news first?" she asked, eyes still focused on the path ahead.

"Let's start with the good," I said, a queasy feeling rising in my stomach.

"The collapse of SPYDER left a power vacuum, at least in terms of the evil quota," came her blunt reply. "They were one of the bigger sources of chaos, not just in the destruction they left behind, but _how_ they went about doing so."

"Okay…" I said, trying to decipher what such a broad statement meant. Erica always pushed me to think further by generalizing. I knew she knew the actual ramifications of SPYDER's fallout but was trying to get me to pursue what such a simple statement meant before saying it outright. "Do you mean in terms of funding? Outsourcing evil as a whole? Or just _how _they outsourced evil?"

Erica's mouth twitched slightly, the only indication she'd give that I was in the right ballpark. "We both know how unorthodox SPYDER was in their methods. Blowing millions on the schemes _that_ _we knew of _every few months or so, not every guy with an axe to grind has that kind of luxury. The thing that truly set them apart though wasn't just how they operated, but how they rebounded."

"Makes sense, they seemed to have a contingency for everything," I said.

"Except for when they couldn't compensate for it anymore," she added on. "So they turned on their fall guys, their sellers, and insurance to keep afloat."

"Right, we knew that already," I replied, recalling SPYDER's attempts at killing their weapons dealers when in debt, notably Paul Lee and Vladimir Gorsky. Murray Hill had also long admitted their schemes were insured, while he himself was one of those 'fall guys'. "What's the bad news in all this, then?"

Erica hesitated for the briefest of moments before answering, perhaps contemplating whether to divulge her intel or not. "We haven't been able to detain many of the remaining SPYDER leaders."

I raised an eyebrow at that revelation but didn't feel too surprised. After all, SPYDER was all about confidentiality. It'd have been difficult just to learn the _identities _of SPYDER's leadership, even with Ms. E's files on hand.

"I read a few excerpts from the interrogations, deciphered some intel from files, and the Agency haven't been able to come up with much, not even Murray Hill's whereabouts," she continued, subtly passing me a file folder while not even breaking stride.

"Um, isn't this information classified?" I asked, gingerly holding the folder.

"That's never stopped me before," she pointed out.

"How exactly did you find out about this?"

"I have my sources."

"So was it Cyrus or Catherine, then?"

"Actually, it was my father who passed this on to me," she clarified, a minor hitch in her voice as if she was embaressed for having procured something from Alexander.

"Really? I thought Cyrus would've been all over it."

"Joshua and Dane getting the jump on him back in Mexico really put a dampener on him, made him revaluate how much longer he can keep going as a spy, his capabilities…" Erica trailed off, visible sadness in her tone this time around. Her back was to me, but I swore I heard her stifle a sniffle, though the moment passed so quickly I wondered if I had imagined it.

"He's been underground for the past few months, no communications, probably pushing his body to the extreme to get better…" she shook her head as if to snap her out of whatever stupor she was in. Just like that, the Ice Queen had returned to form. "But that doesn't matter. Read the file and see what I'm talking about."

I opened the folder, a number of interrogation transcripts and summaries staring me in the face. Scanning through them briefly, it seemed as though numerous SPYDER agents had coughed up copious information simply from the promise of reduced jail time, including the organization's internal operations and backstabbing, how some had remained committed simply out of fear, and the branches of authority within. Despite all this, there was little to no information regarding said leadership, most of them describing their rare meetings with them via conference calls where they simply talked to a black silhouette using a voice modulator. Ironically enough, SPYDER had seemingly just as much chaos and turmoil internally as they had caused despite being a more 'organized' group of mass crime committers.

"There doesn't seem to be much here," I commented.

"This was all Dad could get his hands on, he still doesn't have full clearance after his… mishaps," she settled on. "Internal Affairs could be hiding more sensitive information for the rest of the CIA, but your guess is as good as mine."

"And what _is _yourguess?"

"SPYDER isn't dead, and even if they are… they're far from the only evil in the world," she told me, as we finally begin to approach the summit.

Noncommittal, but also forewarning. "I figured as much," I said with a sigh.

"We've also got some big targets on our backs, having crippled them to this point. They were the most outward with their actions, but there'll always be more conniving, scheming people to follow. Watch your step," she added offhandedly, as I nearly stumbled on a bramble of roots.

It was then I saw the signal that we were nearing the end of our discussion; a zipline attached somewhat haphazardly to a sturdy tree. Time to voice any final concerns. A weak "So what do we do now, then?" was all I could muster in the moment though.

"Keep your guard up, Ben," Erica told me, as she strapped herself into the harness. "It's the calm after the storm now, but I don't think it'll be sunshine and rainbows anytime soon."

With a click of finality, she zoomed down the line with a resounding speed. Despite being alone, I still expressed my dismay anyhow.

"When is it ever?" I wondered out loud.

* * *

**Thanks for all the reviews and support everyone! Took another break from writing recently, but seeing your guys' comments really helped motivate me to push this one out. A short chapter all things considered, but I had to cut it down, lest it drag on for too long.**

**I'm curious to see in SS8 if Cyrus has any lingering psychological effects for being unable to stop Joshua and Dane's escape in British Invasion, seems like an interesting plot point. Despite SPYDER seeming dead in the water, I don't think it's ever that simple, so I'm leaving it rather open ended in that regard. **

**Review, fav, follow, etc if you're enjoying the story, I honestly don't know where I'm headed with this, but I'll fumble around for a while until some semblance of plot comes up.**

**Until then,**

**-BasketballIsFun**


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